Fifty Shades of Grey Sequel Fifty Shades Darker Already in the Works

Universal Pictures are already at work on the sequel to their Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation despite the film not being released until 2015.

Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan and directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, should Fifty Shades of Grey prove a success upon release on Valentine's Day next year, audiences should expect two sequels adapting author EL James' complete trilogy.

News of production on Fifty Shades Darker gearing up comes from The Tracking Board which reports that Universal are currently on the hunt for new writers to pen the script, rather than giving the job to Kelly Marcel who has written the first, or Patrick Marber and Mark Bomback who tidied it up before shooting began.

"The really surprising part about this news is that it appears that Fifty Shades Darker is currently an open writing assignment," it reads. "That's right all you writers out there, get your resumes and writing samples ready, call your agents and managers, and get in line to be the writer on what is almost guaranteed to be a box office success.

Of course this news should come as no surprise given how enormously popular the books have proven. Even if an R rating beckons (and it should given the book's content) the meagre estimated budget of $40 million (£23m) will mean box office success shouldn't be hindered too much by an adult rating.

Fifty Shades of Grey also stars Rita Ora, Luke Grimes and Jennifer Ehle. It will be released on 14 February 2015.